


Ultrakids

by ifoundamoth



Category: Ultraman Mebius, Ultraman R/B (TV), ウルトラシリーズ | Ultra Series, ウルトラマンT | Ultraman Taro, ウルトラマンオーブ | Ultraman Orb, ウルトラマンギンガ | Ultraman Ginga, ウルトラマンジード | Ultraman Geed, ウルトラマンタイガ | Ultraman Taiga, ウルトラマンＸ | Ultraman X
Genre: AU, Canon Divergent, Fluff, Gen, Taro dads the New Gen kids, kid AU, thats it thats the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifoundamoth/pseuds/ifoundamoth
Summary: Taro was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words.“...Ever since Taiga was born, I have known more than ever what sort of support and effort it takes for a child to grow up happy and healthy. I know that there are children out there that aren’t lucky enough to have loving, competent parents. They could be in abusive homes. They might be in homes with good intentions, but no idea how to fulfill their needs. They may not even have homes at all…” Taro’s voice shook ever so subtly. “After becoming a father, the knowledge that there are children out there who have no other option but to live like that repulses me to the core.”Taro looked up at his father, eyes filled with a passion that the leader had seen in his son many times growing up. One that he could not dissuade him from.“I want to give those children a chance, father.” Taro stated. “I’m willing to give up my position for their futures. Please.”(Ultraman AU where Taro opens an orphanage for ultra children and adopts the New Generation ultras)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 72





	1. A Home For Lost Children

“...Come again?”

Ultra Father’s deep voice rumbled in disbelief. If he were speaking to anyone else at the time, then they would have likely been intimidated.

Taro, however, was used to it.

“I said… I want to establish an orphanage.” Taro repeated firmly. 

“Taro.” Ultra Father stepped closer, his stern gaze constant. “You do realize what that entails. You are an Ultra Brother, and to do this would require that you be suspended from duty.”

“I accept that. Please, father. Let me do this.”

Father was silently contemplating. What had gotten into his son?

“May I ask _why_ you wish to do this?”

Taro was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words.

“...Ever since Taiga was born, I have known more than ever what sort of support and effort it takes for a child to grow up happy and healthy. I know that there are children out there that aren’t lucky enough to have loving, competent parents. They could be in abusive homes. They might be in homes with good intentions, but no idea how to fulfill their needs. They may not even have homes at _all…”_ Taro’s voice shook ever so subtly. “After becoming a father, the knowledge that there are children out there who have no other option but to live like that repulses me to the core.”

Taro looked up at his father, eyes filled with a passion that the leader had seen in his son many times growing up. One that he could not dissuade him from.

“I want to give those children a chance, father.” Taro stated. “I’m willing to give up my position for their futures. _Please.”_

The way that Taro’s voice wavered could not be ignored, nor could the pure emotion shining in his eyes.

A heavy silence fell upon the room as Ken ruminated. Eventually, he came to a decision, and looked his son in the eye.

“Very well.”

Taro’s eyes lit up like his Ultra Dynamite.

“Thank you, father!”

* * *

1,000 years passed.

Feeling as though he was in a dream, Taro walked through the doors of the newly-furnished orphanage. Every detail was painstakingly reviewed by him, (and little Taiga!) and it paid off. It was on the small side, finished 500 years ago, but it was cozy and had a big yard for the future inhabitants to play in. There were a few bedrooms, each with a few beds, desks and drawers. There was a simple kitchen with a big refrigerator and freezer, along with a multi-rack oven to prepare enough food at a time. There was also a recreation room with plenty of games to play, and a training studio too.

All in all, Taro’s orphanage was a small affair, only capable of supporting about 20 children maximum. The building looked more like a large house than a proper orphanage, but that didn’t bother him. What mattered was that it would be a proper home for his children.

Not too long after that, Taro received the first guests. He had sent advertisements for his orphanage far and wide across the galaxy, wanting to focus on ultra children that didn’t have the privilege of being born on the Land of Light. There were plenty of orphanages on the Land of Light, and their methods of caring for non-natives were often on the nebulous side.

Two boys had been sent over. The older one was a huge, burly kid from U-40 named Titas. He was a very strong child, and was quite muscular for his age. Despite this, he was well-mannered and wise beyond his years. It was a pity that none of the childrens’ homes on U-40 wanted to take him, distrustful of a child so obviously descended from Hellar parents. Their loss, Taro mused.

The younger one was a skinny little thing from O-50, Fuma. Fuma had a rough start in life, being a street urchin. As a result, he became a cunning little trickster in order to survive. The child was essentially caught in an animal trap and shipped to the Land of Light, as nobody wanted to take him in and the shopkeepers in town were growing tired of having their wares stolen.

Titas and Fuma were soon introduced to Taro’s flesh-and-blood child, Taiga, who came often to help his father. The three of them hit it off, and soon they were thick as thieves. Taro was glad that his son had befriended the new arrivals, but he was admittedly worried that Fuma wasn’t the greatest influence. Fuma used to be apprehensive and wary of the orphanage. To him, it was too good to be true. He would sneak out and steal food from the pantry, and try to con others out of their stuff. 

Taiga was worryingly impressed. “Wow Fuma, you’re so _smart!”_ he used to gush. 

Eventually, Taro managed to convince Fuma that the food wasn’t going anywhere and that _yes,_ he really _did_ have a secure and loving home. Fuma’s thievery lessened considerably after that, to Taro’s relief.

The three friends soon formed their own club of sorts, the Tri-Squad. They would laugh and play and pretend to be heroic warriors. They trained together too, under Taro’s tutelage. Titas loved the exercise, and was very focused on developing his muscles. Taro found it a bit humorous, as Titas still retained the natural chubbiness of youth. Fuma was quick as lightning, but rather frail. Taiga was nicely rounded, but he didn’t have a skill that particularly stood out.

As Taro watched his charges gang up on a poor, unfortunate dummy, he felt a presence behind him. The being lunged, and Taro instinctively threw his arms up both to protect himself and to lock his attacker’s leg in place.

“Darn it…” Mebius whined. “I really thought I was gonna land the hit that time…”

Taro chuckled, patting the boy on the head. “Don’t worry, my pupil. You’ll get it one day.” 

Mebius was about 3,500 years old. In Earthen terms, he would be akin to an 11 or 12 year old. Taro taught him along with the rest of his class at the Ultra Coliseum; he still kept his teaching job despite his retirement as an Ultra Brother. Mebius was a very promising young lad, attentive and skilled. He was also sweet as can be, and was quick to offer to help his teacher when he heard about the orphanage.

Taro knew he wasn’t supposed to play favorites with his class, but he had quite the soft spot for Mebius.

The Tri-Squad had abandoned the remains of the dummy and began to spar with each other. Taiga was trying to land a hit on Fuma, easier said than done given the latter’s reflexes. Titas watched them carefully, both to award points and to make sure his friends didn’t actually hurt each other.

“Should I help them out, Master Taro?” Asked Mebius, breaking the aforementioned teacher out of his reverie. 

“One of the best ways to learn something is to prepare as though you will teach it yourself, Mebius.” Taro smiled. “Children! Mebius is going to help you spar today.”

The Tri-Squad cheered and ran right up to Mebius. They liked him a lot, and Taro wondered if Mebius would become a sort of big brother to them. After all, the kid did help out with odd jobs a lot, and had a heart as big as a gas giant. He really seemed to care about the kids too. Perhaps that had something to do with him being from one of the Land of Light’s orphanages?

Seeing his children with big smiles on their faces while they sparred in their new home filled Taro’s heart with indescribable joy. He couldn’t wait to have more guests arrive. 

The future looked bright.


	2. Ginga Pt. 1

_It’s so cold and dark…_

Deep in the expanse of outer space, there was a tiny glowing speck floating among the darkness.

_I don’t feel right…_

The speck curled in on itself for warmth as it hurtled forward, no atmosphere to provide drag and slow it down.

_Why, Lugiel? Why did you cast me away? I don’t wanna be half of me…_

Stars littered the expanse, but the ambient light wasn’t enough to properly nourish the little speck as it traveled.

_I don’t understand… I’m scared…_

The speck’s vision began to blur with tears and an oncoming dizzy spell. Having no energy left, it was at the mercy of its own inertia.

Something appeared in the distance: a little, sparkly blue sphere, the first major body the spark had encountered. As it hurtled forth, it was no match for the pull of the body’s orbit. The little thing screamed as it picked up speed, being sucked into the atmosphere and flung down. A halo of flames surrounded it as it sobbed in fear and pain.

_I’m sorry Lugiel! Please take me back!_

It broke through the clouds, accelerating ever more due to gravity’s pull. Helplessly, it watched as the ground rushed forward to greet it.

**_HELP ME!_ **

* * *

“Okay Mebius, today we’re going to learn about how matter changes its phase with temperature.”

Mebius nodded, pencil at the ready. He was having trouble in science class, but Master Taro was nice enough to call a friend of his, Hikari, to tutor him.

“Let’s begin!” Hikari tapped his knuckle against the board, which had a diagram of a solid, liquid, and gas drawn on it. “First of all, I’d like to know what you know already. Do you know what it’s called when a solid turns into a liquid?”

“Melting!” Mebius replied. “And when a gas turns into a liquid, that’s condensation.”

“That’s right, Mebius!” Hikari smiled. “Do you know what it’s called when a gas turns into a solid?”

“Eh…” Mebius tapped his chin with a head tilt, a knot in his brow as he thought hard. “Sublimation?”

“You’re _close.”_ Hikari whipped out his marker and drew an arrow from the gas to the solid. “The process of a gas going to its solid state, skipping liquid entirely, is called deposition. Sublimation is solid to _gas._ You got it backward.”

“Oh, okay…”

Hikari made to draw the sublimation arrow when suddenly, he was seized by a psychic wave. Ultras were psionically adept creatures, mainly communicating via telepathy and only opening their mouths to eat or drink. It followed that the ultras could send messages to each other over long distances this way.

This psychic alert wasn’t from any ultra, however. The frequency was all wrong and it was somewhat abrasive from the distance and mismatched psionic frequencies. However, Hikari was familiar with this wavelength, and focused on the message it relayed.

_Hikari, we need you to come here. What seems to be a child of your kind has fallen upon our world, and looks to be in a bad way. Please hurry, we know not how to help it…_

_I’m coming,_ Hikari replied, and turned to Mebius with an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, but something came up, so I’m going to cut the lesson short today. I’ve prepared a note sheet for you to study from.” Handing Mebius the page, he placed a hand on the child’s shoulder. “You’re doing great so far, all you have to do is iron out some of the little mistakes here and there. Understand?”

“Yes, Mr. Hikari!”

“Excellent! Goodbye now, Mebius. Use this extra time to study.”

With that, Hikari exited the classroom, then the building. He looked to the Land of Light’s shimmering green skies and took off, weaving between floating cities and continents to reach the stars.

* * *

It was a bit far, but the Ultra Twinkle Way made short work of long distances. Even though it was out of the way, Hikari knew the area like the back of his hand, and zeroed in on a familiar, glittering planet.

Upon atmospheric re-entry, he touched down on the surface, rocky yet littered with flora and resplendent crystals. No sooner than his feet touched the ground did the crystals begin to uproot themselves, swarming and swirling into a vaguely humanoid shape.

“Arb.” Hikari greeted, staring at the crystalline figure. The living planet never failed to take his breath away.

 _Hikari…_ many voices echoed, the living crystals in perfect harmony. _It has been a while. How have you fared lately?_

“Good, thank you. I’ve taken to teaching in my spare time…” Hikari’s brow furrowed. “Though unfortunately, catching up isn’t why you called me here.”

_Correct._

Arb parted themselves, and in a little crook made from grasses and crystals, a tiny figure was curled up tightly. It was red and silver, battered, bruised, and scratched. Most strikingly, blue crystals adorned its body, pulsing with the same unearthly glow as the denizens of Arb.

“Arb, why does…?”

 _The little one crashed upon our soils a mere moon ago._ Arb began softly. _It was weak and terribly injured... Its life hung on a thread. To save it, we fused our minerals with it, pouring in life energies. It helped the wounds… However, that is all we are capable of doing for it._

“I see…” Hikari drew closer to the child, who began to whimper. _Poor thing,_ he thought as he gently caressed the blue crystal on its forehead. “I’ll take the little one back to the Land of Light. They’ll know how to help him.”

 _Thank you, Hikari…_ Arb’s voices called in sync as the scientist took off with the child in his arms.

* * *

“Mother? Mother, are you here?”

Hikari roamed Space Garrison HQ. He could take the child to any member of the Silver Cross Corp., though the little one was a special case that he felt more at ease with Mother’s guidance.

“Hikari?”

Standing right behind him was the Mother of Ultra, her scarlet cape draped around her shoulders. The medals of honor on the sides of her head swayed a bit as she tilted her head in concern.

“What in the world is going on with that child?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you. This is an… _interesting_ case, so I’d feel the safest if you would be the one to take a look at him.”

Hikari presented the child to Mother, who gave a little gasp of sympathy upon seeing the child’s battered state. As she examined him, Hikari told her about what had occured on Arb.

“Okay…” She mused, tracing one of the strange crystals with her finger. “We’re not going to touch the crystals for now, just in case. Right now, this child is far too light, and is suffering from exhaustion and several surface injuries, though those look like they’re doing well on their own.”

“So what do we do?”

“We get him a proper meal. He’s malnourished and dehydrated. I can feel his ribs, poor thing. As for the surface injuries, I think they’ll heal just fine on their own, provided he’s fed properly.”

Mother looked up at Hikari, directly in the eye. “I take it you don’t plan on keeping him?”

“What?” That question caught him off guard. “I mean… no? I don’t think I’m ready for a child? Why do you ask?”

“Just making sure you weren’t claiming him.” A mischievous smile played on her lips. “Because I know the perfect place he could go.”

* * *

 _“Taroooo~”_ A sing-song voice came from the door, and the horned ultra all but scrambled to answer it.

“Mother!” Taro greeted happily. “What…” he trailed off, catching sight of the battered-looking child in her arms. _“Oh..._ What happened here?”

“Nothing he can’t recover from, thankfully.” She sighed, placing the little one in her son’s outstretched arms. “He has no records to speak of, so I think he’ll make a fine addition to your orphanage.”

Taro’s eyes widened, staring at the unconscious child in his arms.

“I gave him a checkup, so I’ll be sending you the medical notes soon…”

 _“Grandma! Grandma!”_ Taiga chirped, running full-tilt and leaping for a hug.

“Taiga!” She grinned, pinching his cheeks. “How are you doing, my little star?”

“Good Grandma! Me and Fuma were sparring today, and I _won!”_

“Oh, good job Taiga!”

Two more sets of footsteps hurried to the door, and Marie was hugged by two more children. Though she was not their biological grandmother, they were quick to adopt her as such, likely after watching Taiga.

“Titas, Fuma! And how are you two?”

“We’re doing good, Grandma.” Titas replied, taking one of her hands. “Thank you.”

 _Such a polite young boy…_ she thought happily. “And how about you, Fuma?”

“I ran around the _whole_ house today eight times!”

“Eight _whole_ times?” Marie gasped in mock awe. “My, that’s so much running Fuma!”

“I bet I could do _more!”_

“Yeah, except you tripped on a _rock.”_ Taiga snickered.

_“Hey!”_

“Taiga, be _nice.”_ Taro told his son.

“Well, it looks like all my wonderful grandchildren are doing amazing things.” Marie smiled, a sparkle in her eye. “I _just_ might have to bake you all some cookies to celebrate.”

 _“Really?”_ Taiga squealed. Grandma’s cookies were a surefire way to gain the children’s unconditional love... for about fifteen minutes.

“Only if you’re a good boy.” Marie looked to the other two, particularly eyeing Fuma. “That goes for _all_ of you.”

“Yes Grandma.” They said in unison with their most polite little bows.

“I’m keeping you boys to that.” She looked back up to Taro. “Unfortunately, I have to go now. There’s a training session at the Corp. building that I have to oversee.”

“Okay.” Taro replied, shifting the child in his arms into a more secure position. “Thank you for stopping by. Children, say goodbye to Grandma!”

“Bye Grandma!” The children chorused, waving their little hands as Mother walked away.

“Goodbye Taiga, Titas and Fuma! Remember, be good!”

“We will!” Taiga shouted as Mother walked past the gate.

Taro suddenly became aware of one of the children staring at him.

“Mr. Taro… who’s _that?”_ Titas inquired, fixated on the newcomer in his caretaker’s arms.

“Well Titas, that’s a good question. He’s tired right now, so let’s ask him when he’s awake. Until then, I say we should prepare some soup for lunch.”

Taro might as well have fired off a racer’s pistol, because as soon as he finished speaking Fuma shouted, “Last one there’s a Takkong!” and shot off like a bullet, Taiga hot on his heels. Titas opted to accompany Taro to the kitchen, reigned to his fate as the Takkong, and they both chatted about the ingredients they would need.


	3. Ginga Pt. 2

Somewhere, in some intergalactic crossroads, a small being sat deep in thought. However small the being was, it held tremendous power which thrummed from its form. 

Ginga Lugiel. An artificial being, meant to be a guardian of peace. As such, it was created using DNA from the ultras, along with… something else.

The creature was stable when it was born. This didn’t last, however, as it began to be exposed to the darkness and cruelty of the universe. A rift formed within its mind, which cracked and widened as horror after horror unfolded before the young guardian’s eyes. As strong as it was, it was simply too young to do what it was doing.

The rift grew into a chasm, and soon the poor thing’s mind split in two: one side remaining hopeful for the kindness hidden within people’s hearts, and one embittered by the darkness.

 _“Let’s just blow it all up.”_ The embittered personality, Lugiel, proposed. _“There’s so much evil that the only way to have peace is if we just destroy it all.”_

 _“No way!”_ The hopeful personality, Ginga rebutted. _“There’s still enough good out there to beat the evil, you’ll see!”_

_“Stop being stupid! What are they gonna do, hug it to death?”_

_“No!”_

_“There aren’t as many good people as you think, moron. And the few that are are a bunch of weenies, like you.”_

_“I’m not a weenie! And neither are the heroes out there!”_

_“Do you wanna be a big hero, you goody-goody? Go ahead! But don’t come crying to me when they rip your arms off!”_

That did it. Rage boiled within the small guardian’s body.

_“I do wanna be a hero, but YOU WON’T LET ME BECAUSE YOU’RE A JERK! MAYBE YOU’RE THE WEENIE, SINCE YOU’RE TOO SCARED TO HELP PEOPLE!”_

Lugiel went silent, but Ginga could feel his building anger. He only had time to begin to wonder if he should've been nicer when-

 _“FINE! IF YOU WANNA BE A HERO SO BAD, THEN JUST GO!_ **_I HATE YOU!”_ **

The rift shuddered under the force of Lugiel’s outburst, and the mind and body split completely. The sheer force blew the two halves apart, one personality clinging to the ultra DNA and the other to the rest.

* * *

The kitchen was in a state of organized chaos as two children ran every which way, gathering ingredients for soup. While Taiga and Fuma got things ready, Titas had been sent out to the garden to pick some vegetables. Taro, meanwhile, got out a big pot of water and began to chop up some chicken bones for the broth. 

The water had been brought to a rolling boil when Titas returned with celery and carrots. Under Taro’s watchful eye, Taiga and Fuma got to work chopping them up, and soon they were added in with a concoction of herbs and then the chicken bones. He placed the lid on the pot and went to one of the bedrooms to check on his guest, instructing Titas to keep skimming the foam that floated to the top.

Huddled underneath a soft blue blanket, the child whimpered in the throes of a nightmare. Taro rubbed his back gently, and he soon relaxed under the comforting touch. A moment later, a pair of glowing yellow eyes eased open.

 _“Lugiel…?”_ The little one whispered fearfully, withdrawing himself even further into the blankets. His eyes focused, and soon fell upon the strange horned being in front of him. “W-who _are_ you? Where…?”

“I’m Taro.” he said gently. “A friend of mine found you hurt and alone, and took you to me so I could help you. Do you know where your parents are?”

The child raised the blanket a bit with a confused look on his face. “No? What are parents?”

“You… don’t have parents?” Taro asked. 

The child nodded, unsure if that was a wise answer. He was still a bit afraid, but his fear lessened after feeling the genuine warmth and goodness in Taro’s heart.

 _“I see…_ Well then, do you have a name?”

The boy thought for a moment. 

“I’m Ginga.”

Taro smiled warmly. “It’s nice to meet you, Ginga. I’ll do my best to make you feel at home here.”

Ginga’s head tipped like a curious puppy. “Where _is_ here?”

“This place is called an orphanage, and I’m the one who runs it.”

“Or.. _fana…_ ehge?”

 _“Orphanage.”_ Taro corrected. “It’s a place where children like you without parents to take care of them live. I’ll do my best to love and care for everyone here, including you.”

This was a lot for Ginga to take in. He couldn’t think of how to respond, though luckily a shout from down the hall cut them both off.

“I’ll be back in a moment, I need to check on the food.”

* * *

The broth was going well, so Taro put in some chicken breasts to cook. The noodles would go in last, since they cooked the fastest.

While this was happening, Taro took out the medical file his mother had thrown together and started reading. It was a tale and a half, but it at least explained those odd blue crystals adorning Ginga’s body. 

“Is the new kid awake yet?” Taiga asked suddenly, causing his father to jump a little.

“He is, Taiga. But he’s disoriented, so I think we should give him some time to regain his bearings.”

“Ok…” Taiga trailed off. “Hey dad?”

“Yes, son?”

“Is the pot supposed to be bubbling like that?”

Taro turned his head quickly to find the pot overflowing with bubbles. He cursed mentally, so those impressionable kids of his wouldn’t hear. Where had Titas gone? It was his responsibility to watch the pot!

The answer to that question was that he was chasing Fuma, who had climbed up on the counter and grabbed a big kitchen knife to play ninja.

“You can’t catch me Titas!” Fuma laughed. “Ninjas are too fast to be caught, and this one has a brand new sword!”

“You’re gonna get someone hurt, Fuma!” Titas yelled back. “At the very least, you’ll hurt _yourself!”_

Fuma scoffed at that statement, dashing down the hallway. “As if!”

On cue, he tripped over a stray toy that he had neglected to pick up earlier. The knife flew out of his grasp, embedding itself into the drywall.

Both children skidded to a halt.

“Look what you did, Fuma! The wall has a hole in it now!”

“It wouldn’t _have_ a hole in it if you didn’t distract me and make me trip!”

“You tripped because you didn’t pick up your toys!”

 _“Taro!”_ A new voice cried from the nearby bedroom. “I’m _scared!”_

Curiosity about the new arrival promptly ended the argument. Titas and Fuma poked their heads through the doorway, catching sight of a trembling mass beneath a blanket.

“Hey...” went Titas gently. “What’s wrong?”

Ginga couldn’t even articulate what he was feeling. He was overwhelmed and terrified by the loud arguing.

“Are you okay? Can I help you out, maybe?”

The boy’s fear lessened a bit as he relaxed, feeling the desire to help in the new arrival’s heart.

“I’m scared...” he admitted, lifting his blanket just a sliver. “It’s _loud-”_

“YO _BROSKI!”_

Titas groaned. Fuma had the _worst_ timing.

“What’s _up_ dude?” Fuma asked, sauntering up to Ginga while the latter was doing his best impression of a scared turtle. “Who’re you?”

Ginga whimpered again, not liking the loud, dangerous aura the blue child gave off.

_“Titas! Fuma!”_

Three heads swiveled to face the door, where a disgruntled-looking Taro stood.

“Care to explain why the soup was left alone, and why I heard screaming?” Taro’s eyes darted to Fuma. “I’d also like to know why there’s a _knife_ in the wall.”

“Fuma wanted to play ninja with the knife, and he ran away when I tried to stop him. Then he tripped, and that’s why the knife’s in the wall.” Titas supplied helpfully.

 _“Snitch._ ” Fuma muttered.

Taro gave a heavy sigh. _“Fuma…”_ He bent down to the blue child’s eye level. “Running around with kitchen knives is very dangerous. If you had tripped in a slightly different way, then that knife could’ve gone into you or Titas, do you understand?”

“Yeah…” Fuma replied, cringing at the image.

“And you, Titas. If Fuma was playing with the knife, then you should’ve called me over, not chased him. There’s a higher chance of someone getting hurt if Fuma is running instead of staying put.”

A crestfallen Titas bowed his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Mr. Taro. I didn’t think of that…”

“It’s okay, as long as you learn from the experience. In addition to that,” Taro looked to the shaking pile of blankets. “You two have frightened poor Ginga over there. He’s scared and overwhelmed right now, and he’s in a very unfamiliar environment.”

Fuma walked over to the blankets. “Sorry, Ginger.” he apologized awkwardly.

“I’m sorry too…” Titas bowed.

“It’s okay.” Was Ginga’s little reply. Fuma and Titas’ apologetic feelings calmed him down somewhat.

The semi-sweet moment was interrupted by someone’s tummy growling.

 _Well, mother did say Ginga was malnourished in her notes…_ Taro recalled. “The food should be ready about now. How about we all head to the kitchen for some dinner?”

Fuma needed no further prompting, shouting his agreement and racing down the hall. Titas jogged after him, reprimanding his friend for being so quick to run.

Taro held out his hand and Ginga took it, easing himself to his feet with his blanket still wrapped around him. Standing up made him feel dizzy and lightheaded. Something in his midsection ached and kept making this terrible _noise..._

“Let’s go and get you some food.” Taro snapped Ginga out of his thoughts. “You sound like you need it.”

“What’s food?” Ginga questioned.

“Food?” Taro was perplexed. How did Ginga not know what _food_ was? He hoped that he didn’t have some sort of injury that affected his memory... “Food is something that goes inside you so your body can break it down and convert it into energy.”

Was _that_ why Ginga felt so weak? Would this food really give him energy? A hunger pang hit Ginga and the poor child groaned, his belly joining him. 

Figuring that the seemingly amnesiac child probably didn’t know what a digestive system was either, Taro explained the gist of it as they walked into the kitchen.

“You think that eating will really help me feel better?” Ginga asked, eyes wide and curious.

“It sure will.” Taro removed the pot’s lid to check the contents. Taiga had put in the noodles, and everything looked perfect. 

The smell of hot chicken soup hit Ginga like an asteroid. He’d never smelled anything like it in his life. It smelled… good. Warm.

“Looks good! Let’s take this into the dining room and eat.” Taro lifted the pot (while wearing oven mitts, of course) and carried it to the dining room. He set it down on the big polished table, where Taiga, Titas, and Fuma were already sitting.

“You must be the new kid!” Taiga leapt off his chair. “Name’s Taiga, what’s yours?”

 _“New kid…?”_ Ginga muttered confusedly. “My name is Ginga.”

“Cool name! Weird, but cool!”

Taro began dishing out the soup, filling each bowl with a silvery ladle and distributing them to each child. Taiga liked more meat and noodles than carrots, Fuma liked lots and lots of noodles, and Titas liked more meat and carrots. He dished bowls for himself and Ginga, making a point of sitting next to him so he could show the child how to eat.

“This is a spoon.” Taro showed Ginga the utensil. “You use it to scoop food up and put it in your mouth, like this.”

After Taro’s demonstration, Ginga imitated him, careful not to spill any. The soup was hot, steam rising up to hit his face with that wonderful smell. As soon as he tasted the soup, some primal part of Ginga’s ultra-brain activated, and he began to chew the meat and noodles on instinct. His eyes lit up brightly. The taste and texture that eating let him experience was a whole new world of amazing sensations to him! He gulped, eagerly digging in.

Taro was relieved that he wouldn’t have to teach Ginga how to chew his food. He was glad that the child was eating heartily, if a bit quickly.

“W-whoa! I know you’re hungry, but slow _down!_ You might choke!”

Perhaps fortunately, the Tri-Squad was too busy eating and chatting with each other to notice Taro’s futile attempts to get Ginga to slow down, or his subsequent performance of the Heimlich maneuver.

* * *

As he walked out of the dining room, Ginga decided that having a full tummy was the best feeling ever.

He felt warm and cozy, a bit sleepy in fact. Best of all, his stomach had settled and stopped making that blasted noise. The taste of the soup still lingered on his lips, a faint but pleasant memory.

“Ginga?” Taro called. “I’d like to talk, just me and you. You’re not in trouble.”

The two walked outside and sat down in the backyard. Had they been on Earth, they would’ve been greeted with a nice view of the sunset. The Land of Light was always lit, however, so the outside looked no different.

“Ginga…” Taro began. “You were pretty badly hurt before. A friend of mine brought you to my mother, and they fixed you up a bit. Do you want to tell me what happened? You don’t have to if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Ginga was quiet, crystals pulsating as feelings and words percolated inside his head. He was reluctant, but Taro’s aura was warm and encouraging.

He took a deep breath and told Taro everything. About his creation. About Lugiel. About their fight, and his ejection from their shared body.

Emotions took over, and Ginga was in tears by the time he was done. He began to sob into his knees, wracked with bad memories. Fat tears dripped down his cheeks, plopping onto the ground.

Without a word, Taro scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Ginga in a warm, tight hug.

“It’s okay, you’re okay now.” he reassured. “I will _never_ reject you like that, I promise.”

“R-really?” the child’s voice quavered.

“Of _course!_ You deserve someone that will love you unconditionally, and I’ll _be_ that someone if you’ll let me. What do you say?”

_"I..."_

Ginga nodded, sniffling and burying his face into Taro’s chest. They stayed like that for a while, an unspoken bond beginning to form between them.

On Earth, the sun would have been long gone by the time they went back in, but Ginga was able to go to bed a lot more content than he was before.


	4. Victory Pt.1

“How is he doing today?”

Queen Kisana looked to her son with a smile, though her eyes held sadness. “Good to see you, Shou. He doesn’t look like he’s improved, unfortunately…”

Both Victorians looked to the child lying on the bed. Nobody could mistake him for a blood Victorian. Hell, nobody could even mistake him for a surface-dweller. His pale, silvery skin, black and red markings, and ethereal glowing eyes marked him as something entirely different.

His little chest heaved as he coughed again, writhing under the bedsheet. A tiny whine as he shivered, burning hot but feeling much too cold.

“I’ve got it, mother.”

“Thank you, Sakuya.” Kisana took the bowl of water, gently caressing the side of the child’s face. “Victory… it’s time to drink.” she coaxed.

Victory tried to say “no”, but the croaked sound he made did nothing but hurt his throat even more.

Kisana nudged the bowl a little closer. “You need fluids, Victory. Please try to drink a little bit?”

She helped Victory sit up, supporting his too-warm back with one hand and holding the bowl to his lips with the other. He attempted to take little sips, and drew water into his mouth. But swallowing hurt too much, and it all leaked out as he coughed.

Frustrated and hurting, he began to cry. It _hurt._ It hurt so much and he just wanted it to _stop..._

“What do we do?” Sakuya asked, heart sinking at the sight. “Victory’s only been getting worse…”

The queen tried to reassure Victory with whispers and gentle pats. His eyes were dim, that silver skin of his had dulled, and even the yellow crystals that once shone proudly had lost their glow. Victory was a quiet child, not much of a crybaby. For him to be driven to tears so easily… he must have truly been suffering.

“Shou…” she began, laying Victory down. “We no longer have a choice. Go to the surface, and try to find a way to help Victory.”

She didn’t need to tell Shou twice. “Understood, mother!”, he replied, turning and making for the gate to the other world.

* * *

Taro grinned as his charges cooed in wonder, admiring the starry skies rushing past them. He had a small ship as part of his orphanage, and he was taking them on a field trip to Earth.

“Look! Look _look!”_ Taiga chirped, pointing to the blue orb ahead. “There’s Earth!”

“You said that when we passed the _last_ three planets.” Titas deadpanned.

“Yeah, broski. That’s probably the moon or somethin’.”

“No, that really _is_ the Earth.” Taro clarified, pointing at something on the globe. “Look, see that little strip of land? That’s Japan, which is where we’ll be going today.”

As the Tri-Squad crowded closer to marvel at the planet. Ginga remained at a distance. He was following along, but he felt… disconnected. He knew that Taro loved him, yes. However, he couldn’t seem to connect with the other children. They preferred to play amongst themselves, though they tried to include him from time to time. He just didn’t fit in. And if what Fuma said was true, they thought he was weird. He thought he could feel it in their auras when he approached- Oh, it’s Ginga, so let’s stop what we’re doing and accommodate him because we _have_ to.

Well, Ginga knew when he wasn’t wanted. He knew that _too_ well.

“Hold on tight, everybody!” Taro gripped the controls of the ship. “We’re going to land!”

Everyone cheered excitedly. Everyone except a certain little boy, watching forlornly in the corner.

* * *

“This is… the surface?”

Shou didn’t expect everything to be so _bright._ Being a Victorian, his eyes were used to the light given off by the Victorium deposits at most. It was a clear, sunny day outside, _just_ bright enough to strain his eyes. Green land stretched on endlessly in front of him, and above it was just blue. No ceiling, just a light blue. 

He made the mistake of looking above. The noon sun shone directly above his head, and he ended up gazing directly into it. He hissed in pain, rubbing his eyes and taking a moment to regroup before he moved on.

The Victorian prince picked a direction and wandered, eventually reaching a cliff’s edge. Among the masses of green… _stuff,_ there was a flatter area that stood out. It appeared to be a cluster of shining silver prisms, stretching high above the horizon. Whatever it was, it was definitely unnatural. 

_It must be the work of the surface dwellers,_ Shou thought, deciding to descend the cliff and begin the long walk there.

* * *

“Woooow look! It’s a _bird!”_ Taiga pointed to the sky.

“No way, that’s totally a fish!” Fuma retorted, watching the shiny white thing fly across the alien blue sky. “Fish are supposed to be shiny, right guys?”

“Actually, that’s an _airplane.”_ Taro lifted his son up on his shoulders. 

“What’s an airplane, Mr. Taro?”

“I’m glad you asked, Titas! An airplane is like a spaceship, only it’s exclusively for flying at a certain level within the atmosphere. Humans use them to travel to far places on their planet because flying is faster than driving or walking.”

 _“Huh.”_ Fuma flopped down on the mountainside. “Why don’t they just use spaceships, then?”

“That’s a good question. Humans are just beginning to develop space travel. They don’t have very many spaceships yet...”

While Taro was answering questions, Ginga sat by himself beside a rocky outcropping. Taro had elected to land in the middle of a valley, so as no to be seen. Not that anybody _wanted_ to see Ginga…

“Alright, everybody! I’m going to teach you all a very important lesson. Today, we’re going to learn how to shrink down to human size.”

More raucous chatter. Taro tried to get the excited children to settle down as Ginga reluctantly decided to approach the group for the lesson.

* * *

So far, Hikaru was having a pretty good day.

He was enjoying his day off from UPG, strolling through downtown. It was about 2:00, right before rush hour, so the sidewalks weren’t completely crowded yet. Taking advantage of the relative quiet, Hikaru decided to stop by one of the street vendors and pick up some snacks.

He inspected the array of snacks laid out on the folding table. Bags, boxes and bars of every conceivable color were spread out on display. After some deliberation, Hikaru decided on some chips and a few chocolate bars, thinking of inviting company over later.

Paying, Hikaru left with the bag of snacks in hand. He made his way through the city, weaving through alleys and city blocks, until the buildings began to thin out. The terrain became more varied, and Hikaru climbed up the rocky hill overlooking the city.

* * *

“Good job, all of you!”

Taro’s congratulation was largely unheard by the children aweing over their new, tiny forms. It was a whole new world to them, now that they could roll in the grass, pick up leaves, and see individual flowers.

“Dad! Dad!” Taiga ran up excitedly, something cupped in his hands. Look what _I_ found!”

“Oh?” Taro stooped to Taiga’s level. “What did you find?”

Taiga opened his hands, revealing an enormous, shiny black beetle with a magnificent forked horn. 

Taro’s eyes brightened as he recognized it. “That’s a good find, Taiga! In this area, the humans call this _kabuto._ Though most just call it a rhinoceros beetle.”

“It’s very big!” Titas marveled, lightly poking its back. In response, the beetle reared up, brandishing its big, curved horn.

“They’re also very _strong.”_ Taro continued. “You can tell this one’s a male because he has that horn. He uses it to fight other males by trying to get it beneath them, and then using all his might to flip them over!”

“Wow…!” Titas’ pale blue eyes went big. “So _cool!”_

“Not as cool as what _I_ just found!” Fuma shouted, hands in a bush. “Check _this-”_

Fuma suddenly leapt up and yelped in pain, running around and shaking his hand.

“Fuma? _Fuma!_ Come here, let me see!”

Taro managed to catch Fuma, holding his hand. Clamped to his finger was one very big, very disgruntled beetle. Its long, pronged jaws pinched Fuma’s finger tightly.

“Ah! Lucky find, Fuma!” Taro commented, easing the beetle off. “We found a stag beetle, or _kuwagata,_ to complete the pair.”

“Pair?” Titas asked, leaning in for a closer look. The stag beetle stood on tiptoe, presenting its antler-like jaws as a warning.

“Yes. In Japan, the kabuto and kuwagata are often thought of as brothers, since they both resemble certain styles of samurai helmet.”

 _“Great…”_ Fuma groaned, rubbing his throbbing hand. “What’s a samurai?”

Taro began to explain, too engrossed in teaching to realize that Ginga had wandered off.

The crystal-wearing child made his way through the sunny forest, admiring the rocks and greenery. Some little birds flew overhead beneath the canopy, twittering a sweet little song. The cicadas provided a steady buzzing in the background, which made everything feel even more alive.

Ginga thought it was nice, running along a deer path. He ran and jumped and just enjoyed himself for a good while.

Eventually, Ginga reached a clearing. The clearing ended with a cliff, which Ginga approached. He saw the silvery city below, glimmering merrily in the sunlight.

 _Uh oh… Taro said that we shouldn’t be seen._ Ginga thought, deciding to turn back.

...Where did he come from again?

Ginga paced, trying to remember the way back. As he did, he stepped in just the wrong spot, and the small piece of cliff he was on broke, sending him tumbling down the side of the mountain.

* * *

Hikaru heard something rumbling a ways behind him. He frowned, wondering if it was an avalanche.

Stuffing the packet of chips back into the grocery bag, he turned around to get a better view of the cliff. As he got closer, he heard a sort of muffled whine. He slowly began to recognize the sound as he closed the distance.

Was… Was that a _child_ crying?

Hikaru broke into a run, heading for the pile of dust and stone. There was no doubt about it- there was a kid in trouble. He knelt by the stones, frantically tossing them away.

 _“Hey!_ Can you hear me?” he panted, growing panicked. “Are you hurt?”

A whimpering sob.

Hikaru removed another rock, revealing a patch of silver…?

With the extra weight removed, Ginga was able to sit up. Thankfully, ultra children were very sturdy, so he was bruised but otherwise fine. He looked at his savior, eyes still quivering with tears.

 _“Thank you-uu…”_ he blubbered.

“You’re welcome?” Hikaru replied, trying not to make his shock too obvious. From the silver skin to the glowing eyes to those azure crystals, it was clear that this kid wasn’t human. Alien, probably. “Are you okay?”

The little alien cried, his cheeks literally sparkling with spilled light. Hikaru’s instinct to protect flared to life. Throwing caution to the wind, he hugged the little thing gently.

“Shh-shhh… it’s alright, you’re safe now.” Hikaru wiped the light-tears. “Do you know where your parents are?”

Parents? _Oh._

Ginga’s breath hitched, new sobs bubbling forth. “I don’t _knowww…_ I don’t know where I _am!_ I don’t know where Taro and the others are!

 _“Aww…”_ Hikaru took the opportunity to dust the child off. “I’ll do my best to help you out, okay?”

He nodded, tears beginning to dry up.

“My name’s Hikaru.” he greeted warmly, giving a nonthreatening smile. “What’s yours?”

“Ginga...” the child replied, rubbing his watering eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Ginga. I work with some people that know a lot about aliens. Maybe we can _all_ find a way for you to find this Taro.”

“Okay…” he sniffled, tentatively grasping the human’s hand.

Hikaru took Ginga’s hand, noting the surprising warmth coming from it. Together, they began their walk through the lower woods. In Ginga’s defense, there were many things he still didn’t know, at the very least stranger danger.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched.

“You. _Surface dweller.”_

Ginga froze, and Hikaru turned to see a man his age approach. Everything about his appearance said “handmade”, if slightly tribalistic, from the jacket to the little feather and bead thing hanging from his hair.

“Can I help you?” Hikaru tried, scooting in front of Ginga.

“...The child. What do you know about caring for him?”

Hikaru did not like where this was going. “Why do you want to know?” he asked, covertly reaching for his charge gun.

Shou sighed. This surface dweller was getting anxious, and he was really bad at hiding it. “I come seeking help. My family is caring for a child similar to the one with you. For a time, he’s been weak and ill, and we don’t know how to help him. We’ve tried everything. We are desperate, and that’s why I’m on the surface.”

A tense silence passed as Hikaru processed the information.

“What do you mean by ‘the surface’? Who _are_ you?”

“...Shou. I live underground.” the Victorian replied, not wanting to reveal any more about his people than he had to.

 _“Okaaaay…”_ Hikaru scratched his head. “Come with me. I found this little guy while I was eating, and he’s looking for his dad, I guess? So I’m taking him to some people I know who are knowledgeable about this sort of thing.”

“Very well.” Shou stepped forward, stony gaze never leaving Hikaru. “We shall retrieve Victory first. He doesn’t have much time.”

Shou turned towards his home, Hikaru following. “...And surface dweller?”

“I have a name, it’s _Hikaru.”_

Something between a glare and an eye roll. _“...Hikaru._ If any misfortune falls upon my people as a result of you…” Shou stepped forward with a _definite_ glare. “I will make you _regret it.”_

“U-understood…”


	5. Victory Pt. 2

“Hey, where’s Ginga?”

_ “Ginger?”  _ Fuma asked, looking down at Taiga from his tree branch perch. “Beats me.”

“I think I saw him near  _ that _ tree?” Titas pondered, bobbing his head to get a better look. When he found no sign of Ginga, he frowned. “Mr. Taro!”

“Yes, Titas?” Taro looked up from the patch of buttercups he was admiring.

“Where did Ginga go?”

“Yeah, he’s like,  _ gone.” _ Fuma added, jumping down.

“And he never told us where he went!” Titas affirmed.

That... wasn’t good. At _all._

“Ginga?” Taro called, glancing around him.  _ “Ginga!” _

Not a single sound except birdsong and cicadas. Now truly worried, Taro took to the skies and began patrolling the area. Circling the valley like a vulture, he hoped to catch a glimpse of blue crystal in the underbrush below.

* * *

“This is the gate to my home.” Shou gestured to the group of rocks in front of him. 

“I… don’t see anything?” Hikaru frowned, trying to look for some indication of a gate. 

Ginga peered curiously behind him. “Maybe he lives _ in _ the rocks, Hikaru.”

“Maybe so!” 

Shou rolled his eyes, raising his pendant to the stone. In an instant, the portal to the underground opened in a burst of light.

_ “Whoa…” _ Hikaru and Ginga whispered together.

“Follow me.” Shou commanded, and the trio were engulfed by the light.

When the light faded and Hikaru could focus his eyes, he was greeted by caverns stretching out further than he could see, enormous blue crystals that glowed with raw power jutting out like stalactites. There were buildings and old pillars poking out in the horizon.

The ensuing trek led the trio to a stone palace, past great old pillars and ethereal crystals to an open throne room overlooking a cliff.

They were taken to a throne room, where a white-robed lady wearing a crystal tiara waited.

As Shou led him and Ginga forward, Hikaru couldn’t help but feel as though he’d plunged headfirst into a fantasy novel. Aliens, underground civilizations and a queen wearing a crystal crown? What was next,  _ dragons? _

A loud chuff brought that train of thought to a screeching halt. There was something big, white and blue leaning in from the canyon outside, looming protectively over a small bed. It suddenly turned to face Hikaru, icy blue eyes fixed and exposed teeth gleaming.

A dragon. Of  _ course. _ Though it looked a bit more like Godzilla, to be honest, even with a huge crystal jutting out of its back.

Shepherdon kept a wary eye on Hikaru as he guarded Victory. He knew the human was foreign to the Underground as soon as he caught his strange scent and saw his odd clothes. Though… he was being led by the prince. And, interestingly enough, he seemed to have a silver whelp of his own. What brilliant crystals the little one had! They certainly weren’t Victorium, but they still pulsed with otherworldly energy.

Ginga, timid little thing that he was, immediately cowered behind Hikaru. Hugging the human’s arm and burying his face in his side, he hoped that the kaiju hadn’t seen him.

“It’s okay, Ginga, he’s nice…” Hikaru reassured, soothing Ginga with gentle pats. Whatever that thing was, it couldn’t have been malicious. They just let him stick his head in without a word!

“Shepherdon _ is _ nice.” Shou agreed. “You may approach him, Ginga. He won’t hurt you.”

Ginga nodded, still opting to cling to Hikaru. 

Shou, deciding to lead by example, walked to Shepherdon. He pet the subterranean kaiju’s snout, glancing back at Ginga. The ultra child then gathered up as much courage as he possibly could, shyly approaching. He raised a shaky hand, hesitant.

_“Go on…”_ Shou muttered encouragingly.

Spurred, Ginga lightly ran his little hand over the gleaming white scales. Shepherdon closed his eyes, huffing in relaxation. At the sudden gust, the child giggled. This wasn’t so scary after all!

“Welcome back, Shou.” The lady in white spoke melodiously. “I see you brought a surface dweller with you… and another child?”

“Yes, mother.” Shou bowed. “He has agreed to help Victory.”

“Victory?” Hikaru frowned, confused. “Who are you, if you don’t mind me asking? I’m Hikaru, by the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Hikaru. I am Kisana, Queen of Victoria.” She replied, gesturing to Shou. “I take it my son has led you here because you have experience with silver children?”

“Silver children-” Oh,  _ Ginga. _ “I’m sorry, I just met Ginga here. He’s lost and I’m trying to help him find a ‘Taro’, so I’m not sure if I’m the right person for the job. I’ll still do my best to help, though.”

“Very well.” Kisana beckoned Hikaru, and he followed her to the little bed. In it lay a child much like Ginga, but with a black body and yellow v-shaped crystals. The child appeared to have a permanent case of the chills, shaking and struggling to breathe any deeper than light rasps. His complexion was paler and duller than Ginga’s, lacking the silvery sheen. The face flushed as dim eyes squeezed shut. 

“What _happened_ to him…?” Hikaru asked lowly.

“This is Victory.” Kisana explained, placing a gentle hand on Victory’s burning cheek. “We have been raising him for generations, and he is very dear to us. However, he fell ill years ago and has only gotten worse since. Nothing we do helps. Now he won’t even drink…” She explained, voice taking on a horribly sad tone. 

Victory’s breath caught and devolved into hacking coughs. It seemed as though he was helpless to stop himself as painful tremors wracked his frame. He began to cry weakly, chest spasming. 

“I know, Victory…” Kisana whispered. “Don’t worry, you’re going to get help…”

A sudden boom echoed across the vast caverns, dust and stones crumbling from above. Another boom, this time accompanied by tremors. Shepherdon looked to the ceiling and roared.

“What’s happening?” 

A small earthquake shook the Underground. Among the cacophony of falling rubble and cracking stone, a muffled voice could be heard.

Ginga looked to the ceiling, brows knotted in worry. “I think Taro’s looking for me…”

* * *

_ “GINGA!” _

A properly gigantic Taro bellowed, pounding the rocky landscape once more. He could feel his charge’s presence below. Had he fallen in? Whatever the case was, Ginga wasn’t responding, and there certainly wasn’t going to be much light underground. He desperately punched, knowing that an ultra child wouldn’t have much time left if taken away from the light, even at his smaller size.

Heart pounding, he wound back his fist, bringing it down as a crushing hammer strike. This final attack punched through the roof of the Underground at last. 

Shepherdon looked to the newly made hole, growling threateningly.

“Wait!” Ginga cried, waving his arms. “Taro’s just looking for me! He doesn’t wanna hurt anybody!”

“That’s  _ Taro!?” _ Hikaru’s eyes bulged. He didn’t expect Taro to be so…  _ big. _ Or angry.

“Go to Taro, child! He’s destroying the caverns!”

Ginga stuttered. “I-I don’t think he’ll be able to see me at this size?” 

Shou looked to Shepherdon, forming an idea. “Perhaps if you had a higher vantage point, Taro could see you?”

* * *

Taro crouched over the rubble, trying to peer into the small hole he made. He knew Ginga was in there, but the signal was getting fainter. Doing his best not to panic, he prepared for another blow.

All of a sudden, the earth shook. The ground erupted a ways behind Taro in a shower of dirt and stone. From the underground tunnel Sheperdon emerged, letting out a mighty roar to get Taro’s attention.

Springing up from his crouched position, Taro landed on his feet, locking eyes with the kaiju while building Strium energy in his arms.

_“HEEEEEEY!”_ Hikaru yelled at the top of his lungs, waving his arms. 

The voice was tiny, but still audible to Taro. His head swiveled to the source of the sound. Hikaru couldn't stop himself from shivering as the giant's burning yellow eyes bore into his soul. He couldn't help but fear what would happen if he got the wrong idea and thought he and Shepherdon were threatening Ginga.

Taro stepped forward, alert. Standing on top of the kaiju’s head was a human… and Ginga, clinging to said human. 

“Ginga!” Taro rushed forward, throwing caution to the wind but glad to see his charge safe. The kaiju didn’t appear to be hostile, even bowing its head so Taro could get a better look. 

“You’re okay, thank goodness!” Taro sighed. “Please don’t ever run off like that again! You really scared me!”

“I’m sorry, Taro…” Ginga’s head dipped down.

“Apology accepted.” Taro lifted a hand for Ginga to climb onto. “Let’s head back and regroup with the others.”

_“Wait!”_ Hikaru cried.

“Hm?”

“Before you go, um… You seem to know a lot about these kids, right?” He inquired awkwardly.

“Yes, I run an orphanage and Ginga here is one of my charges, Mr…?”

_ “Hikaru.” _ The human supplied. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to help a sick child, would you?”

* * *

Back at human size, Taro was lowered into the caverns with Hikaru and Ginga. Sheperdon lowered his head, allowing the three to jump off onto a cliffside near the throne room. Taro briefly marveled at the ambient energy emitting from the countless giant crystals, not to mention the many stone buildings that dotted the great cavern. 

Soon, the trio was back in the presence of Kisana.

“You are Taro, I take it?” Shou spoke, arms crossed.

“Yes, I am…” Taro said sheepishly, the realization that he had damaged an underground civilization’s home pressing on him like a pallet of bricks. “I’m deeply sorry about damaging your home… I’ll repair any damages.”

“That’s considerate of you.” Kisana said. “But our main issue is Victory.”

“I take it that’s the name of the child?”

“Yes… Come with me, I shall bring you to him.”

At Victory’s bedside, Taro peered down. His heart broke seeing the state that the child was in. 

“How long has he been like this?” He asked, placing the back of his hand against Victory’s too-hot forehead.

“Years.” Kisana replied simply. “We’ve tried everything we could, and he’s only getting worse.”

“How long has he lived in the Underground?”

“The royal family of Victoria has been raising him for countless generations. He’s something of a sacred figure to us.”

Taro frowned, beginning to form an idea as to what was wrong. Testing his theory, he released little wisps of light from his palm, letting them be absorbed by Victory. As soon as he took in the light, Victory began to relax for a fleeting moment.

“I think I know what the problem is.” Taro turned to Kisana. “Our kind relies heavily on light energy. We need it so much that on this planet we can only remain at our natural height for about three minutes.”

“The surface is blinding!” Shou said incredulously. “How is there not enough light?”

“It is blinding to you because you are used to the decreased light of the Underground.” Taro replied. “My kind come from a world so bright that your kind would be vaporized should you set foot there.”

He turned back to the little bed. “Victory has remained small and is still young. I suspect he’s been drawing energy from the crystals growing here.”

“The Victorium…” Shou realized.

“Yes. However, Victory is growing. The Victorium energy might have been able to sustain him for a while, but his energy needs are increasing as he gets older. Victorium simply isn’t cutting it anymore.”

Victory chose that moment to start coughing again, sounding as if he was about to hack up his lungs. Taro’s heart shattered even further for the poor kid.

“Victory’s energy needs aren’t being met. As a result, his body has weakened. He just doesn’t have the energy to fight off disease, so when he got sick, the illness essentially had free reign over his body.”

“That’s why he’s so sick…” Hikaru unconsciously squeezed Ginga’s hand.

Taro looked Kisana in the eye. “Queen Kisana, I’m going to be honest with you. I know that Victory has great significance to your family and kingdom. However, there’s a very good chance that I’ll have to take Victory back to my homeworld, because if nothing is done, then he _ will _ die.”

Kisana loved Victory dearly, and to raise him was tradition. But she could not deny that her child needed help, or the finality in Taro’s words.

If Taro’s solemnity didn’t convince her that Victory couldn’t remain in Victoria, then the weak cries of the ailing child did.

_ “Please.” _ Her voice cracked. “Please help him…”

* * *

While Taro was rushing Victory back to the Land of Light, his remaining children were left at the Victorian palace. Kisana agreed to watch over them until Taro came back. They were good kids (mostly, that blue one was quite rambunctious), but four of them was quite the handful.

Taiga and Fuma were chasing each other all over the rocky outcropping, and she briefly feared that one of them would fall off the edge. Titas was engaged in a strange little game with Shepherdon- he’d push as hard as he could against the guardian’s hand, and Shepherdon would push him back.

Ginga, meanwhile, opted to stay by Hikaru. The little one appeared to have formed a nice bond with the surface dweller, and they talked animatedly about what it was like to be a human/ultra. 

At any rate, the scene was peaceful enough. The children were having fun and her own silver child was finally getting the help he so desperately needed. She allowed herself to relax, for one nice moment.

Suddenly, she heard a low growl.

Opening her eyes, Kisana saw three of the children climbing all over Shepherdon, who looked at her with the most long-suffering look that a kaiju could have. He growled again, a sound that meant “help… me…” in any language.

At the sheer ridiculousness of the scene, Kisana couldn’t help but break out into laughter. Shepherdon huffed, another universal sound. 

The translation? “Not. Funny.”

* * *

While his charges were being watched by the Victorian queen, Taro was rushing home through the Ultra Twinkle Way with Victory in his arms. The wormhole opened up, and Taro shot into the Land of Light’s atmosphere. 

Concentrating, he sent out an ultra sign.

_ This is Ultraman Taro. I have with me a child who is suffering severe light deprivation and serious illness. To whichever member of the Silver Cross Corp is nearest to my location: I need your help. _

Soon enough, a nurse met up with him and helped Taro to the hospital. The ultra at the desk took one look at Victory and admitted him. Nurses swarmed around the child, taking vitals and discussing proper procedure. He was placed on a rolling cot and wheeled to the ICU. The door slammed shut behind the gaggle of nurses as a doctor followed, preparing an IV drip on her holopad.

As Victory disappeared from sight, all Taro could do was wait. As he sat in the waiting room, anxiety building, he received an ultra sign.

_ Taro? I saw your sign about needing medical attention for one of your children. What’s the situation? _

_ Mother… _ Taro responded, glad but tired.  _ I managed to get him in the ICU. During the Earth trip, I found another child who was very sick and light-deprived. _

_ Oh dear… _ Mother of Ultra sympathized.  _ It’s a good thing you found him. _

_ Yeah, it is. That child was at death’s door. I hope he’ll be alright… _

_ Tell you what. As soon as I finish up this paperwork, I’ll head over there and take a look at him myself. _

_ Thanks, mom. _

_ You’re welcome. What’s the child’s name, by the way? _

_ Victory. _

_ Thank you, I’m wrapping up now. I should be there in a few minutes. _

_ You’re a lifesaver, mom. _

_ What are mothers for? _

* * *

Night had fallen on Earth, though it wasn’t noticeable underground. After a long day of running around and treating poor Shepherdon like a jungle gym, the children were tired and hungry. As such, dinner was being served at the palace. Each child got a bowl of hearty stew, and they all tucked in with fervor. 

The Tri-Squad laughed and talked amongst themselves as they ate, while Ginga picked at his stew further away. Hikaru had to go home, and Ginga was all alone again. He eyed the other three children, feeling left out once again.

“Ginga…” Kisana sat down next to the crystalline ultra. “You seem troubled.”

He sighed, placing his bowl down. “They won’t let me join their club…” Ginga replied sadly.

“Oh, and why is that?”

“They said that if I joined the Tri-Squad, then it wouldn’t be the Tri-Squad anymore…”

“I see…” Kisana put a hand on Ginga’s shoulder. “Would you like me to talk to them about it?”

“Mm-hm…” Ginga hugged Kisana, beginning to sniffle.

Kisana nodded, leaving Ginga to approach the Tri-Squad. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah?” Fuma looked up, broth smeared across his face, courtesy of Taiga.

“I was told that you’re not letting Ginga join your club, and now he feels sad. Why don’t you let him in?”

“Ginga’s sad? We didn’t mean to make him sad!” Taiga worried. “But we can’t let anyone else in the Tri-Squad, otherwise it won’t be the Tri-Squad anymore!”

“Tri means three.” Titas stated helpfully.

“Yeah!” Fuma added, wiping his face sloppily. “Like, if we added someone else, then we wouldn’t be three anymore!”

“It’d be nice if we could add Ginga though.” Taiga mused. “He’s cool.”

Ginga looked up, surprised that the others didn’t think ill of him after all.

_“Wait!”_ Titas cried.

“What’s up?”

“Yeah, what is it broski?”

“I have an idea…” Titas replied, low and dramatic. “What if… we make  _ another _ club?”

“Titas, you’re a _genius!”_ Taiga squealed, bouncing up and down.

“That’s a great idea!” Kisana clapped her hands together. “Perhaps this new club wouldn’t need a specific number of members?”

“Yeah!” Taiga agreed. “We’re gonna have a million  _ billon _ members!”

Kisana smiled, happy that the children had come up with a compromise. Soon, Taiga called Ginga over. The crystal child’s despair melted away, replaced by a big grin as he played with the other children.

Everything was almost perfect. The only thing she needed now was the knowledge that Victory was ok… and for Taro to fix that damned hole in the cavern.

* * *

The next morning brought sunlight filtering through the new hole in the Victorian caverns. It was an odd sight for the Victorian population, and most of them elected to ignore the blinding brightness. 

At the palace, the children awakened and ate their breakfast, giving them energy to run about and play in the courtyard. Now instead of three children and a straggler, four children were happily running and laughing. Soon, they had all settled down with a big piece of paper and a veritable arsenal of crayons and markers, scribbling feverishly.

The light from the ceiling turned red, and a glowing scarlet orb descended from the chasm. Landing in front of the palace, Taro made his way to the courtyard.

“I see everybody’s doing alright?”

“Daddy!” Taiga cheered, rushing over to hug his father.

Taro laughed. ”Hold _on,_ Taiga! You’ll make me drop him!”

“Him” being Victory, whom Taro was cradling in his arms. The medical technology of the Land of Light was incredible. The nurses, led by the Ultra Mother, were able to channel immense healing energy to the child and clear his airways. The massive influx of light energy worked wonders for the child’s health. Though Victory was released from the hospital, he was still very weak, having an IV bag attached to his arm and wearing a mask to prevent the spread of illness. 

Taro gently set Victory down, supporting him. For the first time in what had to be years, Victory took tentative steps forward, leaning against Taro. It felt incredibly weird, as he hadn’t used his legs in so long. Being bedridden for years on end was terrible.

Shou came over and crouched down, opening his arms. Victory stumbled forward, falling into a warm hug. He snuggled into the embrace, a big smile forming behind the mask. He couldn’t believe it! He could  _ walk. _ He was finally _feeling better._

Taro looked to Kisana, who was also smiling. “Have you made a decision?” He asked.

Kisana nodded, still smiling but with sad eyes. “Yes. Victory is very important to our people… But his  _ health _ takes priority. He won’t be able to thrive here.”

“Very well.” Taro nodded. “Victory… It’s time to say goodbye.”

“Goodbye?” Victory whispered, voice weak from disuse. “What do you mean?”

Shou held the child’s hand. “Victory…” He began, not quite ready to let go himself. “The reason why you got sick is that there isn’t enough light here for you to feel well. Taro’s going to take you to a place with lots of light, so you won’t have to be sick all the time.”

“Ok…” Victory pulled Shou’s hand, but the Victorian remained in place. “Let’s go, Shou.”

The prince sighed. He already hated this part.

“Victory. You need much more light than this world can provide. But my body can only take so much light. I’m sorry, but I can’t go with you.”

“W-what…?” Victory’s face seemed to get tighter, eyes beginning to fill with sparkling tears. “But-  _ but-” _

“Shh-shh, don’t cry, little one.” Shou whispered, pulling Victory into a tight hug as the little ultra began to cry. “Don’t worry, you’re going to a much better place. You’ll love it there, I promise.”

“I don’t  _ wanna _ go to a better place, I wanna stay here with  _ you!” _ Victory protested, full-on crying whilst burying his face in Shou’s chest. 

“I know…” Shou whispered sympathetically. “But If you stay here, you’ll just get sick again. We really care about you, Victory. We’ll miss you very much, but we want you to be able to grow up happy and healthy even more than that.”

“We can come back to visit, Victory.” Taro soothed. “You’ll be able to see Shou again, I  _ promise.” _

Victory sniffled, looking up at Shou with big watery eyes. “Really…?”

Shou smiled.  _ “Really.” _ He nodded. “Just promise me one thing, Victory.”

“What’s that?”

“That you’ll be good for Taro, and that if you feel like anything is wrong that you’ll tell him.”

_ “Okay…” _ Victory tightened his grip, tears flowing freely.

“Hey, hey!” Taiga interrupted. “We’re done!”

“With  _ what?” _ Taro questioned.

The four children, Taiga, Titas, Fuma and Ginga, worked in tandem to unroll the huge sheet of newsprint and unveil their masterpiece. The picture showed a crude but bright landscape with a sunny sky and lots of flowers. On a hill in the middle, five smiling figures held hands- a red one with horns, a big yellow one, a blue one, one with what looked like a blue fork on his forehead, and finally a black one with yellow Vs on his body. Above the figures, something was written in the ultra language, in every color the children could get their hands on.

“What does that say?” Kisana asked a grinning Taro.

“Welcome home, Victory.” Taro replied.

All five children grouped together, introducing themselves with bright smiles. As they laughed together, Victory’s tears dried and he began to smile again. 

Maybe… Maybe living with these guys wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	6. Prism Orphanage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the limelight for Mebius! What's life like for him, I wonder?

_“KYAH!”_

With a passionate cry, the board was split in two by a small red foot. Its owner quickly swung it back to regain his balance, an ecstatic grin forming on his face.

“Excellent job, Mebius!” Taro nodded. “Very nice form.”

Mebius bowed respectfully. “Thank you Master Taro.”

With that, Mebius hurried back to his spot on the floor next to his fellow students and sat down cross-legged. Everybody took their turn with a board- some succeeding, some nursing a throbbing foot. In the end, the success rate was roughly 50-50, and after some final words to his class Taro dismissed them.

Taro watched Mebius pick up his duffel bag and leave for the shuttles. Mebius was one of the best students he ever had- quick learning, attentive, and humble. The kid had a lot of potential, Taro thought. Perhaps even enough to join the Ultra Brothers one day.

He thought it was a shame that he couldn’t take Mebius in himself. After all, he had another orphanage to go to- no sense taking him out of there just to put him in another one.

* * *

The shuttle hissed to a stop and settled, its doors opening.

Mebius was the last of a neat line of ultras trickling out of the doors, stepping off at the stop. He meandered about a block away to a large brick building with many windows. One could have mistaken it for an apartment building, but it was in fact Prism Orphanage, his home until he found a couple willing to adopt him.

Well, Mebius didn’t quite want to be adopted. Being adopted opened up the possibility of being taken from the people he’d grown up around, and Master Taro too. Adults loved the sweet-mannered boy, so he usually tried to stay in the background.

As he entered the building, duffel slung over his shoulder, he took in the big lobby that branched into many halls and had a great stairwell in the middle. This was an old building, Mebius recalled. Standing in the middle was the orphanage’s headmistress, an old but kindly woman waving a paper fan to fend off the summer heat.

“Hello Mebius, I see you’re back from practice.” She greeted. “How did it go?”

“Awesome! I finally broke that board!” Mebius beamed. “I had to straighten out my kick and I was scared that I’d break my foot, but It went better than expected.”

“That’s great, Mebius-”

All of a sudden, there was a terrible commotion somewhere down one of the many halls. There was yelling and thumping and the sounds of things beating against the wall.

Before Mebius could ask someone what was going on, one of the caretakers emerged from the hall holding a struggling child under each arm. One was a fairly nondescript red boy, a bruise forming on his cheek. The other one, however, was somebody that Mebius knew all too well. A blue and red boy bucked and cursed in the caretaker’s grip with surprising strength. He jabbed beneath his captor’s arm and she reflexively loosened her grip just enough for him to wriggle free. There was more shouting as the boy dashed by Mebius, laughing victoriously.

The headmistress shook her head. “Oh dear, not again…”

Zero, Mebius thought as two more caretakers chased the child in question. He was about 1,000 years younger than Mebius, but he still scared him a little- just a little. A lot of caretakers called Zero the “problem child”, and, well, he did seem to cause a lot of problems. Zero was too strong for his age, and often picked fights with other boys. He was also a prankster, his tricks testing the patience of even the most saintly caretakers. Perhaps as a consequence of this, Zero didn’t have many friends in the orphanage. 

_One more reason for me to stay,_ Mebius mused as he ran after Zero.

* * *

Mebius knew exactly where Zero would go.

If one opened the window by the boiler room, then there was trimming wrapping around the building. The resulting ledge was just wide enough for a child to shimmy along, and after that they could climb to a section of the roof.

Zero was perched just out of sight of the windows, five or so stories up. He sat on the slope of the roof with a grin, a smooth rock in hand that was being run along the twin blades on his head. Upon hearing the thump of Mebius’s approach, he set the rock down.

“Zero!” Mebius called out. “What happened this time?”

 _“Heh..”_ Zero wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, an odd little tic of his. “Kimu was makin’ fun of me. So…” He wound his arm in circles, snapping it out in a punch. “I showed _him_ who’s boss!”

Mebius sighed. “Dude, you have to stop doing this. You know you have a bad reputation around here.” It was so bad, in fact, that many potential parents passed up on adopting Zero. “If you wanna get adopted-”

“Who _cares?”_ Zero drawled. “My folks didn’t want me, so fine! I don’t want any either. Don’t need ‘em anyway.”

Zero kept his composure, but Mebius could tell he’d struck a nerve. He decided to change the subject.

“How have you been? I’ve been getting better at my kicks.”

“Pft. Okay, I guess.” It seemed that Zero was still a bit bitter.

“Master Taro says I’m doing really good, so he’s letting me help train the kids at his orphanage.” Mebius continued. “I really like it there, everybody’s so nice! You should come with me some time.”

Zero said nothing, turning back to the skyline. He picked up the rock and resumed his attempts at sharpening his sluggers, though they weren’t developed enough to detach from his head.

Mebius shook his head, moving to make his way back down. “See ya at dinner, Zero.”

“See ya.” He replied absentmindedly, still preoccupied with his sharpening stone.

* * *

Dinner soon came in the form of curry and rice.

Mebius entered the cafeteria, drooling as the smell hit him. Curry was his favorite food without a doubt. He eagerly lined up with his tray, picking up a carton of milk and some fruit on the way.

He gave a huge grin as his turn in line finally came, presenting his tray. His smile was returned by the lunch lady.

“Hey there Mebius! Bet you’re happy about dinner tonight, huh?”

“Yeah! This curry is awesome!”

“Well you’re in luck, Mebius! I just so happen to have an extra big bowl right here!”

He almost squealed with joy. “Thank you miss!”

“Aw, don’t mention it kiddo!”

It was no secret that Mebius was well liked in the orphanage, by children and staff alike. He was helpful and friendly to everyone he met. So when he left the lunch line, he could basically sit wherever he wanted in the cafeteria. However, he only had one spot in mind.

“Hey, Zero.”

“Hey Mebius.” Zero replied, poking at his curry. 

Zero was in many ways an opposite to Mebius. He was defiant and aggressive. Due to this, he wasn’t very popular at all. The other kids would actively avoid him, for fear of getting into a fight or being blamed as an accomplice to whatever stunts he pulled. Goodness, the things Zero did…

Speaking of which, Zero had an odd little grin on his face, as if he was thinking of something funny and trying not to laugh. Mebius (with great difficulty) paused his meal to look at him.

Yep, he was _definitely_ hiding somethi-

_“AUGH!”_

Dozens of heads swiveled to find the source of the disgusted cry. It was Kimu, dripping in green paint that splattered over several others nearby.

 _“Pff-_ he-hey Kimu! Are you ok? You’re looking a little… _green!”_

It was at this point that Zero completely lost it, laughing so hard he was in danger of falling over. So hard that he didn’t notice the caretaker approaching, and by the time he did he was trapped in an inescapable grip.

With the commotion waning, Kimu making a beeline for the bathroom, Mebius went back to his meal. It was just as delicious as before, but now that Zero was in trouble, it somehow wasn’t the same.

* * *

After some recreation time, it was lights out. There were too many children for them to have their own rooms, so Mebius slept in a steel framed bed in a big room with 6 others. His was by a window overlooking the street. The Land of Light was always aglow with the light of the Plasma Spark, so the darkness of night was a thing of the distant past. The gentle green glow still managed to shine through the drawn curtains and on an awake Mebius’s face.

The boy’s mind tended to wander all over the place at night. Right now, it was fixed on Zero.

_“My folks didn’t want me, so fine! I don’t want any either. Don’t need ‘em anyway.”_

Mebius wasn’t so sure about that. He’d been around Zero long enough to see his glances linger on a passing family a little too long to mean nothing. He’d been around Zero long enough to see the disappointment on his face when a family passed over him yet again. He’d been around Zero long enough to see his frustrations burst out in the form of aggressive behavior.

He wouldn’t dare say it, but Mebius felt sorry for Zero. 

As for himself, Mebius wasn’t sure if he wanted to be adopted. That meant leaving all his friends and Zero behind, but still… Every time he saw a happy family, he too felt that pang of longing. He wondered what it was like to have parents that focused on only one child as opposed to having to divide their attention between one hundred children. To have them ask how his day was and tuck him into bed every night with a kiss. What was a goodnight kiss like? 

Oh. Now he was sad...

 _Maybe one day…_ Mebius trailed mentally, eyes dimming sleepily. _Maybe one day I’ll find out…_

* * *

The next day was bright, warm, and beautiful, though to be fair that was standard weather for the Land of Light. Underneath the simple white covers, Mebius stretched out with a yawn. He sat up and got off the bed to begin his day. Make the bed, brush his teeth, and go down to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Breakfast that day was oatmeal, though there was a bar set up with toppings like fruit, syrup, and chocolate chips. Mebius grabbed some strawberries and sliced bananas for his bowl and sat down to eat in the same spot.

Zero was already there, head drooping over a bowl that looked to be more syrup and chocolate than actual oatmeal. Zero was never a morning person, but it looked like he didn’t sleep well at all.

“Good morning, Zero.”

 _“Mornin’.”_ Zero mumbled, half awake.

“Jeez Zero, you look like you didn’t sleep at all. What happened?”

“The old hag yelled at me for an hour and made me clean the paint.” He grumbled. “Then she said I had to wake up early to help with breakfast.”

“Wow, that stinks.”

“Yeah, nobody can take a joke around here.” Zero shoved a spoonful of oatmeal (for lack of a better term) in his mouth. “Ith thucks.”

Mebius had always been perceptive when it came to people’s moods, and right now it was clear to him that Zero wasn’t simply grumpy. Something was bothering his friend much more than he was letting on.

“Are you okay, Zero?”

He paused, letting the spoon fall back in the bowl. “What kind of a question is that?”

“You seem upset.”

“I’m not!” Zero retorted a little too forcefully. 

“You are, though! We can talk about it!”

“No we _can’t!”_ Zero shouted, beginning to draw stares. “What’s _with_ you, anyway? Why do you have to be in my business all the time?”

“Because you’re my _friend!”_

 _“Everyone’s_ your friend!” He yelled. “Everyone _likes_ you. You’re a straight-A student _and_ you’re being trained by Ultraman Taro! Of _course_ you don’t know what it’s like to have problems, _Mr. Perfect._ Besides, I know that you only talk to me because you feel sorry for me. Nobody _else_ does.”

Zero got up and all but threw his bowl into the cleaning tray. He stomped off, ignoring the whispers and snickers growing behind him.

A worried Mebius wanted to follow, but he stopped himself. Zero needed some time to cool off. Besides, he had to finish eating, sweep the hall, and get ready to go to Taro’s to help the kids train.

* * *

It was like clockwork by now.

Zero snuck out to the roof and used the windowsills to clamber down the side of the building like he did many times before. He didn’t even have to think about it anymore. 

Once he touched down on top of the dumpster, he leapt to the ground running. He ran and ran, for who knows how long, until he reached the park. It was a beautiful green with white stone paths, iridescent flowers, and various trees with leaves like frosted glass. Zero made his way to one particular tree and began to climb, settling himself in a nook in the branches, hidden by the leaves. This was his favorite spot when he needed to get away, above the ground and private. 

Zero relaxed, idly watching pedestrians go by, unaware of his presence. There were couples crossing the bridge and making wishes over the river. Some people just wanted to recline on a bench for a quick catnap. 

A sudden commotion caught Zero’s attention. Two kids his age, a boy and a girl, were running around and playing with a ball, laughing. Soon, their parents came into view- a red man and a blue woman- and they began a game of catch. He watched intently as the father threw the ball in an underhanded arc, the kids racing to intercept it with big smiles on their faces. 

The game eventually ended, and the mother led her family to a picnic table. She opened up the basket in her arms to lay out a tablecloth, and began passing sandwiches to everyone. They all kept smiling as they talked animatedly about their day- the boy bragging about his speed and the girl talking about a school art project. Their parents were encouraging, proud of the bright souls they were raising.

Zero could only watch as the family finished, packed up, and went out of sight. He shifted in the tree, looking around him.

Once he was confident that he couldn’t be seen, Zero curled up, buried his face in his arms, and cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted a little space between the Victory and X chapters...


End file.
